Mid-January brings three harvest festivals celebrated by Indian families across Australia: Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal. They all mark the sun moving into Capricorn (Makara), the end of winter in India and the start of longer days.
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2027 dates
- Lohri – the evening of 13 or 14 January 2027 (calendars differ – check with your community)
- Makar Sankranti – Friday 15 January 2027
- Thai Pongal – Friday 15 January, with Mattu Pongal on 16 January and Kaanum Pongal on 17 January
Why is Lohri celebrated?
Lohri is a Punjabi festival that celebrates the winter harvest of sugarcane and wheat. Families light a bonfire in the evening, walk around it and throw in til (sesame), gur (jaggery), peanuts, popcorn and rewri as thanks for a good harvest. It is especially big for a newborn baby’s or a newly married couple’s first Lohri, with bhangra, giddha and songs about Dulla Bhatti.
Why is Makar Sankranti celebrated?
Makar Sankranti marks the sun’s journey north (Uttarayan) and is one of the few Hindu festivals that follows the solar calendar. People take a holy dip, share til-gud laddoos (“eat til-gud and speak sweetly”) and fly kites, especially in Gujarat, where it is called Uttarayan.
Why is Pongal celebrated?
Pongal is a four-day Tamil harvest festival that thanks the sun god, nature and cattle. The highlight is boiling new rice with milk and jaggery until it overflows – “pongal” means “to boil over” – a sign of plenty in the year ahead.
What to wear in a Melbourne summer
These festivals are in India’s winter but Melbourne’s summer, so choose light, breathable fabrics.
- Lohri – bright suits and sharara sets in yellow, orange, pink or green. For a baby’s first Lohri, our organic cotton girls’ sets (from 6 months) are soft and photo-ready. Men wear a kurta pajama.
- Makar Sankranti – yellow and green are traditional, and black is worn in Maharashtra. A cotton kurti or ready-to-wear saree is easy for kite flying.
- Pongal – a silk saree for women, and a white shirt and veshti for men.
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